How to Write a Tasteful Mockumentary

If you have ever thought you were watching a documentary but it seemed to be a funny take on the subject then you were probably watching a mocumentary because this is a genre, which is becoming very popular in the world today. Especially with the United States being at war in Iraq we are seeing a lot of mocumentaies, which appear to be documentaries of the war, but they use humor to show that things can be looked at from another prospective. This is what mocumentaries are about, taking a serious subject and making fun of it. This is now becoming popular in the United States but I remember seeing Italian films, which used this technique about five years ago.

Although everyone in the world loves comedy, we have all seen comedy that goes too far because of the attempt to be funny. You must be careful not to cross the line by avoiding things that would not be funny if they were serious. This includes avoiding stereotypes, avoiding racial issues and avoiding things that are considered not to be funny in general society. If you are marketing this in the United States you should avoid joking about handicapped persons or mentally retarded children. If you were shooting this is Iraq or any religious country then you should avoid making fun of religion and customs of those practices that people partake in within the country. If people have the perception that they are being made fun of then they will not find your piece to be funny at all. If you get a reputation for being offensive then nobody will be willing to watch your pieces anymore which will end your career within the genre.

Because of this fact, it is important to be socially conscious. This genre asks you to mix reality and humor in a unique way so that people find the humor within the serious subject. If you are going to do this then you will need to be careful to find the vein of humor within the serious subject and make light of it. This is usually easiest if you focus on things, which the population finds humorous on a daily basis. For example, your topic can include the Presidential election in the United States and parodies of music artists in addition to reality shows. If you can do a good job of making people see the humor in these subjects then you will be successful.